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Calls for animals to be counted in emergency plans

Millions of farm animals are thought to have been killed in natural disasters like bushfire.

AAP: Tracey Nearmy

A group pushing for animals to be included in emergency planning says hundreds of millions of dollars could be saved by preventing livestock deaths in natural disasters.

The World Society for the Protection of Animals commissioned research which found 1.6 million farm animals died in 10 major natural disasters, resulting in a direct economic loss of $217 million.

The Society's Australian CEO Carmel Molloy says the figures highlight the need for a national approach to consider animals in disaster planning.

"We know that communities will not recover as well if they've lost their livestock, lost their companion animals.

"The social and financial aspects of disasters cannot be measured in terms of the impact it has on communities."

Dr Gardner Murray, a former chief veterinary officer chairs the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy Advisory Committee working on a national approach to include animals in disaster planning.

"People have lost their lives trying to save their companion animals, their dogs and cats. Animals and humans have this bond and people can get terribly depressed when they've got to leave an area when there are floods or fires and leave their animals behind."

Dr Murray says the loss of livestock can have long-term implications.

"We've lost millions of animals over the last 20 to 25 years.

"The cost is significant in terms of loss of animals, but also downstream impacts which have a bit of a multiplier effect.

He says there needs to be a national approach to accounting for animals in emergency planning.

"You can't tell states and municipalities what to do because every situation is different, but what you can do is elaborate some principles that you hope government can introduce into legislation, or emergency management practices."